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WATER IS LIFE

WATER IS LIFE

Did you know that dirty water kills more people than war? When floods hits, people are surrounded by dirty and contaminated water. To survive, people are forced to drink this dirty water which is infested with parasites and diseases.

Over 33.5 Lakh people in Assam are struggling to survive since the worst floods in 29 years hit the state this year. Families have lost their houses, agricultural lands, animals and hundreds of people have lost their lives. There is scarcity of clean drinking water and it is now a major concern.

Aarati a 35-year-old mother of three children never imagined that drinking filthy water would be the only source of survival for her family. She recalls, “The water had entered our house. We had to leave everything behind and search for a safer place.”

Heavy rainfall severely damaged Aarati’s house and swept away her animals too. “Our difficulties never seemed to end. The floods have damaged our lives. After we fled from home, we were surrounded by water but there wasn't a drop of clean water to give my children.”

Aarati’s husband is a fisherman. But floods have dried up his source of income. Everyday he struggles to provide a meal. Currently, they are utilizing their stored food materials saved from the flood waters.

Oxfam has distributed Hygiene Kits and Shelter Kits to over 30,000 people in Assam and Manipur, including to Aarati. She says, “Oxfam has solved our biggest problem. They gave us chlorine tablets to purify the water and buckets to store it in. I use them religiously.”

“We also use the tarpaulin from the Oxfam Kits as a covering near the toilet and on the damaged roof of our house.”

Aarati is now hopeful that she like many others will be able to rebuild their lives with the help of Oxfam’s Disaster Management Program.

Oxfam has installed two tube wells and seven water filters in the worst affected districts of Assam. Oxfam is continuously working towards building elevated hand pumps, toilets and conducting public health awareness activities to reduce the risk of any health hazard.

Oxfam India plays a significant role in preventing disease by providing water and sanitation in areas suffering from the water crisis. We believe that clean water and sanitation can prevent a cycle of diseases and malnutrition. Thus, our team is tirelessly working on the ground to provide immediate and long term life-saving assistance to help people recover from this disaster. Click the image to enlarge.

Our team continues to be in the affected areas to mobilize water trucks and set up storage tanks, filters, toilets and conduct activities to help people live healthier lives. Training and skill development workshops are also conducted to subsequently help people earn their livelihood.

We have provided immediate relief to over 30,000 people in Assam. With the help of generous donation, we have been able to provide the following:

1. Food items to 250 Households.

2. 12,163 Hygiene Kits and Shelter Kits.

3. Public health promotion activities in camps.

4. Eight water filters in schools, communities and relief camps.

5. At the community level, we have installed four tube wells (100 feet deep) to support 85 families in two villages.

6. 189,840 NADCC tablets for water purification.

7. Constructed five temporary toilets.

8. 20 hand pumps were also reparied.

Donations from generous people like you enable us to help families recover from disasters and rebuild their lives for a better future.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the products mentioned are to illustrate activities and the change that your donation can make to the lives of marginalized and vulnerable people. Oxfam India, based on the need on the ground, will allocate resources to areas that need funds the most.

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